A friend of Karabo Mokoena has told the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg that she witnessed murder accused Sandile Mantsoe be abusive to Mokoena on several occasions.
Puleng Mthethwa, who had known Mokoena since 2014, testified on Tuesday morning that Mokoena and Mantsoe's relationship seemed normal until she witnessed a number of incidents.
Mantsoe is facing a charge of premeditated murder in the death of Mokoena, who was killed on April 28, 2017.
Mokoena's charred remains were discovered in an open veld in Lyndhurst, Johannesburg.
Mantsoe is also charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, for allegedly assaulting Mokoena on March 27, 2017.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mthethwa told the court that the first incident she witnessed was when Mantsoe smashed Mokoena's phone against the wall after she refused to let him have fingerprint access to it. The incident happened at the Hydro apartment where he lived at the time, she said.
She said a day after the incident, Mokoena went to Mantsoe's place and asked if he was going to fix the phone but, "Sandile said no".
Mokoena was 'excited to start living her life'
"They were arguing that the person responsible for the damage needs to fix it. He got up and pushed Karabo against the wall, strangling her."
She also told the court that at one point, Mantsoe had not been home for a while and when he returned, she witnessed him opening the bedroom door and allegedly flinging Mokoena towards a glass table while she was naked.
Mthethwa alleged that Mantsoe also left Mokoena on the side of the road with her luggage after she asked him to take her home.
"Did she seem suicidal?" Advocate Pakanyiswa Marasela, for the State, asked Mthethwa.
Mthethwa replied: "Even after all the abuse, she said she was excited to start living her life."
Mantsoe, a married father of three, had reportedly been in a romantic relationship with Mokoena since October 2016. It is believed that he and his wife were estranged.
The accused has denied killing Mokoena but, during his bail application, he said he had disposed of her body after he came home and found that she had committed suicide.
The matter was postponed to Wednesday at 10:00.